Decadent Gluten Free & Raw Fall Desserts

We saved the best for last! All week we’ve been posting about some of our delicious thanksgiving and harvest recipes, from appetizers and breakfasts to mains and sides. And now, as we’ve reached the Friday before the Thanksgiving weekend, we’re going to give you 5 outstanding dessert ideas that are sure to finish off your meal in a perfect way.  

Traditionally, people think of pumpkin pie for dessert at Thanksgiving. But if you’re not a pie person (or a pumpkin person, for that matter), you might often find yourself dreaming of other sweets once the turkey and stuffing are cleared away. This year, your dreams can become reality with one (or more, we won’t judge…) of the delicious seasonal desserts below. We have gluten free options, a delicious cake recipe made with beets, and even a dessert that can be made in the crockpot. All healthy, all nutritious, all amazing. Dig in!  

Spiced Beet Cake
A delicious new way to enjoy beets! Moist, delicious, and with a vibrant colour, you can’t go wrong with this cake.  
2 medium organic beets, peeled and grated 1
1/3 cups sucanat
½ cup sunflower oil
2 large eggs
2 ½ cups spelt flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ cup full-fat yogurt or kefir

Grease a 9 x 13′ casserole dish. Combine sucanat, sunflower oil and eggs in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add beets, beat well. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Stir in yogurt or kefir. Pour batter into greased dish. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cool and ice.  

Cream Cheese Icing
1 cup (250 ml) Whipped cream
1 cup (250 ml) Cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup Maple syrup

Gently fold cream cheese and maple syrup into whipped cream. Spread on cooled cake. Refrigerate for a couple hours for icing to ‘set-up’.  

Pumpkin Blondies (made in a crockpot!)
Making these in a crockpot fills you home with the delicious smells of fall. Completely gluten free!

1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/3 cup organic coconut sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. gluten free vanilla
1 1/4 cup almond flour
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt pumpkin mixture (Below)
1/2 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips  

Pumpkin Mixture
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp. coconut sugar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg  

Combine melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, egg, and vanilla in a small bowl.  Mix well.  Combine almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and mix together well with a fork.  Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well with the mixer.  Mix in chocolate chips.  In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin mixture.   Line crockpot with parchment paper and add the brownie mix.  Drop the pumpkin mixture on top of the brownie mixture in blobs and swirl together using a knife.  Place lid on crockpot and cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, or until brownies are baked through (this might depend on your crockpot). To remove, turn crockpot off and lift out carefully using the parchment paper.  Let cool and slice.  

Autumn Pumpkin Cashew Cheesecake
Free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. A fantastic alternative to pumpkin pie!  

Crust:
1 tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup raw cashews
20 medjool dates, pitted  

Filling:
3 cups raw cashews – soaked for at least 12 hours
1 1/2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin
1 cup maple syrup or honey
1 tbsp. blackstrap molasses
3/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg  

Coconut Cream Topping:
1 can full fat coconut milk – placed in refrigerator or at least 12 hours
1/4 cup maple syrup  

For crust, grease a 10″ springform pan with coconut oil.  Sprinkle coconut on bottom of pan.  In food processor bowl, combine nuts and dates.  Process until coarse.  Remove and gently press over coconut layer until even.  Set aside.  

For filling, place ingredients in bowl of food processor.  Process until smooth.  Pour on nut crust.  Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for a few hours or overnight.  

For coconut cream topping, open can and spoon coconut meat into a cold bowl.  (Reserve coconut water, from the bottom of the can, for your smoothie.)  With cold beaters, beat coconut mixture.  Add in maple syrup.  When mixture is fluffy, pour onto frozen cashew cake and put back in freezer for a couple of hours.  

3 hours before serving, remove cheesecake from the freezer.  Place on serving platter and remove rind of springform pan.  Place whole pecans all along edge of cheesecake.  Place in refrigerator for 3 hours.   Raw cheesecake can stay in freezer for weeks.  Slice off a piece when desired.  

Pumpkin Loaf
Moist, tasty, and spiced to perfection.  

3 cups spelt flour
1 cup expeller-pressed safflower oil
1 1/2 cups sucanat
2 cups cooked, mashed organic pumpkin
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. ginger powder  

Beat eggs and sucanat together. Add oil and pumpkin and dry ingredients. Fold in yogurt and chocolate chips. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 8×4′ loaf pans or 1 bundt pan and bake at 350F for 40-60 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes before turning out onto cooling rack. Enjoy!  

Cranberry Orange Nut Loaf  
2 cups light spelt flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. grated organic orange zest
1 cup fresh organic orange zest
1 cup fresh organic cranberries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sucanat
1 egg
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice  

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Beat together butter, sucanat, and egg until smooth. Stir in orange juice. Beat in sifted flour, baking powder and baking soda, cranberries, orange zest and nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until bread springs back when lightly touched. Let stand 10 minutes and turn out onto a wire rack. Let cool completely before slicing.